Search - George Frideric Handel, Richard Auldon Clark, D'Anna Fortunato :: Handel - Ezio / Fortunato Baird Lane N. Watson Urrey Pellerin Manhattan Chamber Orchestra (2 CDs)

So much for so little

Cleofide | Canada | 02/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was not expecting very much from this super budget opera CDs. In fact, I was more or less waiting for another "joke" opera I can keep in the same shelf next to Florence Foster Jenkins. I was wrong.Title role is sung by D'Anna Fortunato whose voice has more edge and is less 'motherly' compared with the average trouser role mezzos. Princess Onoria is sung by another mezzo Jennifer Lane. Her voice is more round and feminine and there's absolutely no danger of confusing her with Fortunato. Soprano Julianne Baird plays a maiden in distress, Fulvia beautifully with coloratura quantum sufficiat. Nathaniel Watson is a solid bass who sings Varo originally created by a famous Italian bass Antonio Montagnana.The plot of the opera is complicate enough to keep contemporary audiences entertain, but does not require too much effort to comprehend. What makes this presentation even more unique is two organ intermissions tucked in the act I and act II. These No.2 in B-flat major concertos were associated in Handel's day with oratorio Esther, which Handel composed a few weeks after Ezio. But they also work well in the opera, offering a welcome change of pace since Ezio has more sacco recitative than melodious aria (one of the reason the opera failed in 10 days in spite of a King George II's patronage).A complete libretto is supplied in a typeset (not in a dreaded infinitesimal facsimile) along with a line par line English translation. One can almost feel no-nonsense American attitude behind the production concept. Play time is 76:07 / 78:10 and two CDs are neatly packaged in easy to remove slim case. It may not be a tour de force but the Vox label deserves a credit or two for giving so much for so little outlay."